ST. JOHNS, Mich. — St. Johns Public Schools held a special board meeting Tuesday to address low kindergarten enrollment at Eureka Elementary, ultimately deciding to combine young fives and kindergarten classrooms rather than relocate students.
- The school board voted to keep students at Eureka Elementary despite low kindergarten enrollment numbers.
- Parents and community members packed the meeting to show support for keeping students at the school.
- The decision comes after online rumors circulated about the future of the elementary school.
WATCH: St. Johns school board addresses low enrollment concerns at Eureka Elementary
The start of the school year is just around the corner, but until Tuesday, the future was uncertain for some St. Johns students.
The district called a special school board meeting to decide on the future of Eureka Elementary due to low kindergarten enrollment.
"I would like to see our kindergarten just be higher numbers, that would be preferential. But this is the next best option," Superintendent Anthony Berthiaume said.
One of the options considered involved moving students to a different district elementary - Gateway. But the board passed a vote in the meeting deciding to combine the young fives and kindergarten classrooms in order to keep students at Eureka.
"Families were worried about kindergarten and first grade being absorbed into Gateway," Berthiaume said.
Many concerned neighbors packed the meeting to support students staying at Eureka, like Renee Thornburgh, who has a rising kindergartener at home.
"It's no secret what an absolute gem Eureka elementary is. The staff are outstanding. The school culture and community are unbeatable, and class sizes are advantageous," Thornburgh said during a public comment to the board.
The special meeting comes as online rumors have been swirling about the future of Eureka.
When asked directly if the district was considering closing Eureka Elementary, Berthiaume clarified the immediate plans.
"As far as this school year, no. We're looking at all options because we gotta make sure that we're maintaining our buildings and doing what's best for our students and staff," Berthiaume said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
